<cutline_leadin>SHARING HABITAT: </cutline_leadin>Signs and pamphlets warning hikers about the dangers of mountain lions are evident at the Borrego trail head in Whiting Regional Park where a man said he was attacked by an adult mountain lion after petting three cubs. A bicyclist was killed by a Mountain Lion in the park four years ago.

<cutline_leadin>POSTED WARNINGS: </cutline_leadin>Park Ranger John Gump blocks the entrance to the Borrego trail in Whiting Regional Park near where a man told authorities he was attacked by an adult mountain lion after he approached and handled three cubs. The unidentified man was taken to Saddleback Hospital with scratches to his arm. Orange County Sheriff officials said the injuries were not serious.

<cutline_leadin>LOOKING FOR TRACKS: </cutline_leadin>California Fish and Game officials inspect tracks for signs of a mountain lion near where a man said he was attacked on the Borrego trail in Whiting Regional Park. If the mountain lion is found, Orange County Sheriffís official say they hope to capture it alive and relocate it to an animal sanctuary in San Diego.

<cutline_leadin>PARK IS CLOSED: </cutline_leadin>Park Ranger John Gump informs bicyclists that the Borrego trail in Whiting Regional Park is closed due to a possible mountain lion attack. A bicyclist was killed in the park by a mountain lion in 2004.

<cutline_leadin>INSPECTING TRACKS: </cutline_leadin>California Fish and Game warden Larry Stephens, from left, warden Rob Rojas, senior park ranger Vicky Malton, and OC Parks District supervisor John Gannaway inspect tracks for signs of a mountain lion near where a man said he was attacked on the Borrego trail in Whiting Regional Park. The officials could not find any conclusive evidence that a mountain lion had been in the area, however, the park is closed to the public until further notice.

<cutline_leadin>ON THE LOOKOUT: </cutline_leadin>Orange County Sheriff deputy Ellis, left, and deputy Barrientos return from searching for a mountain lion that a local man said attacked him in Whiting Regional Park near the Borrego trail. The man told sheriff's officials that he had approached and pet three cubs when an adult mountain lion attacked him.

FOOTHILL RANCH – A man told authorities he walked away with only a scratch after trying to pet a mountain lion cub in Whiting Ranch Wednesday, but the wound on his right arm was likely not made by a mountain lion, officials said.

The man, identified as Kevin Lassiter, a 47-year-old man from Foothill Ranch, told authorities he spotted three mountain lion cubs at about 8:30 a.m. as he was walking through the park. Assuming that the cubs would not be dangerous because of their small size, he told deputies he walked toward them and tried to pet one of them, said Jim Amormino, spokesman for the Orange County Sheriff’s Department.

“He said he thought they were cute,” Amormino said.

Lassiter said he didn’t see the mother of the cubs standing nearby. The mother allegedly swiped at the man with its paw, then ran off.

“If it did happen, he’s the luckiest man in the world,” Amormino said.

Students at nearby Foothill Ranch Elementary were placed under lockdown and the park was closed after the alleged attack. Using a helicopter and foot patrols, authorities from three agencies searched for three cubs and a mother for almost five hours in the park with no success.

After reviewing a picture of the wound, a wildlife forensic pathologist with the Department of Fish and Game determined that the wound on the man’s arm was likely not caused by a mountain lion.

“It is not consistent with injuries from lion attacks we have seen in the past,” said Jeff Rodzen, senior wildlife forensic specialist with the Department of Fish and Game.

“We’re qualifying this as an alleged attack until we can substantiate it,” said Harry Morse, information officer for the Department of Fish and Game.

According to the Department of Fish and Game, mountain lion sightings are rare, but encounters with baby cubs are rarer still. According to the state agency’s Web site, a person is one thousand times more likely to be struck by lighting than attacked by a mountain lion.

Officials said they found several inconsistencies in the man’s story, but the wound on the hand did not have the characteristics of a mountain lion attack.

“It’s a very odd set of circumstances,” Morse said.

If the man if found to have filed a false report, sheriff’s officials will look to prosecute him, Amormino said.

Officials from the county’s animal control will also be reviewing the wound to continue the investigation, he said.

Officials with the Department of Fish and Game review pictures of wounds and take DNA samples to verify reports of attacks. Although the state agency does not record the number of false reports filed, it does happen sometimes, Morse said. The agency does not record incidents as an actual attack until physical evidence proves it.

Three weeks ago, a wild animal attack in the Bay area was found to be false, he said.

In cases where a wild animal, such as a mountain lion, is found to have attacked a human, the state agency considers it a public risk and the animal is destroyed. DNA evidence is also used to make sure the correct animal is destroyed, Morse said.

Residents and park rangers had reported sightings of three cubs recently, but they went unseen during the search, Amormino said. Mountain lion tracks were found in the area but it was unknown how recently they were made.

Join the Conversation

We invite you to use our commenting platform to engage in insightful conversations about issues in our community. Although we do not pre-screen comments, we reserve the right at all times to remove any information or materials that are unlawful, threatening, abusive, libelous, defamatory, obscene, vulgar, pornographic, profane, indecent or otherwise objectionable to us, and to disclose any information necessary to satisfy the law, regulation, or government request. We might permanently block any user who abuses these conditions.

If you see comments that you find offensive, please use the “Flag as Inappropriate” feature by hovering over the right side of the post, and pulling down on the arrow that appears. Or, contact our editors by emailing moderator@scng.com.